Drought Update: State Asks All Residents To Limit Or Cease Outdoor Water Use

Despite the rainy weekend, the state’s environmental services department is continuing to urge residents in areas with severe drought to conserve water.

The drought has been called the worst in New Hampshire in over a decade. While over 100 water systems in the state have formal outdoor watering bans and restrictions in place, the state is asking even those not listed to conserve water.

If you are in any of the seven counties in a severe drought -- Sullivan, Merrimack, Belknap, Strafford, Rockingham, Hillsborough and Cheshire counties -- the state recommends stopping all outdoor watering with one exception: plants may be watered by hand.

The Northern half of the state is not in a drought, but is designated as “abnormally dry.” There, the state recommends limiting outdoor watering to every other day between the hours of 7pm and 8pm.